Best Time to Drive from Vista to Irvine

Right now (7:03 pm PDT): about 53 minutes via I-5 North, usually 52 at this time.

Only 20% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Vista to Irvine by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	51	52	53	54	55	54	56	55	54	54	55	60	53	52	52	51
Tue	50	51	53	55	53	55	55	55	55	54	55	56	59	53	52	52	51
Wed	50	51	53	54	54	56	55	56	55	54	55	57	59	54	53	53	51
Thu	50	52	52	53	54	55	55	56	58	55	55	56	59	58	55	54	51
Fri	50	51	52	53	54	56	55	61	62	74	77	72	73	62	54	53	50
Sat	50	50	51	51	53	55	73	75	72	79	73	64	62	56	53	54	50
Sun	50	51	51	51	52	57	76	84	86	84	77	68	68	59	54	55	50

About this drive

On weekdays the 58-mile drive from Vista to Irvine (via I-5 North) usually takes as little as 50 minutes and up to 77 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 10 am or after 6:30 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 56 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1:30 pm on Sundays (86 minutes).

About 57 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.3 miles surface streets (1 to 2 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Vista to central Irvine along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Vista to Irvine?

On weekdays, leave before 10 am or after 6:30 pm. The drive usually takes about 50 minutes then, versus up to 77 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Vista to Irvine?

The 58-mile drive usually takes 50 to 77 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 56 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Vista to Irvine?

Leaving around 3 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 77 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-5 North in Orange County (23 miles) · I-5 North in San Diego (20 miles) · SR-78 West in San Diego (7 miles) · I-405 North in Orange County (6 miles) · I-405 South in Orange County (1.2 miles)

San Diego traffic right now · San Diego traffic tomorrow · Orange County traffic right now · Orange County traffic tomorrow

More drives

Irvine to Vista (return trip) · Vista to San Diego · Vista to Long Beach · Vista to Anaheim · Vista to Riverside · Vista to Santa Ana · Vista to Santa Monica · Vista to Chula Vista · Vista to San Bernardino · Vista to Fontana

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	51	52	53	54	55	54	56	55	54	54	55	60	53	52	52	51
Tue	50	51	53	55	53	55	55	55	55	54	55	56	59	53	52	52	51
Wed	50	51	53	54	54	56	55	56	55	54	55	57	59	54	53	53	51
Thu	50	52	52	53	54	55	55	56	58	55	55	56	59	58	55	54	51
Fri	50	51	52	53	54	56	55	61	62	74	77	72	73	62	54	53	50
Sat	50	50	51	51	53	55	73	75	72	79	73	64	62	56	53	54	50
Sun	50	51	51	51	52	57	76	84	86	84	77	68	68	59	54	55	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	51	52	53	54	55	54	56	55	54	54	55	60	53	52	52	51
Tue	50	51	53	55	53	55	55	55	55	54	55	56	59	53	52	52	51
Wed	50	51	53	54	54	56	55	56	55	54	55	57	59	54	53	53	51
Thu	50	52	52	53	54	55	55	56	58	55	55	56	59	58	55	54	51
Fri	50	51	52	53	54	56	55	61	62	74	77	72	73	62	54	53	50
Sat	50	50	51	51	53	55	73	75	72	79	73	64	62	56	53	54	50
Sun	50	51	51	51	52	57	76	84	86	84	77	68	68	59	54	55	50

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	50	51	52	53	54	55	54	56	55	54	54	55	60	53	52	52	51
Tue	50	51	53	55	53	55	55	55	55	54	55	56	59	53	52	52	51
Wed	50	51	53	54	54	56	55	56	55	54	55	57	59	54	53	53	51
Thu	50	52	52	53	54	55	55	56	58	55	55	56	59	58	55	54	51
Fri	50	51	52	53	54	56	55	61	62	74	77	72	73	62	54	53	50
Sat	50	50	51	51	53	55	73	75	72	79	73	64	62	56	53	54	50
Sun	50	51	51	51	52	57	76	84	86	84	77	68	68	59	54	55	50